3 Circles
Throughout the Bible we see many prophecies fulfilled. However, there also seems to be a prophecy that continues to come up that has yet to take place. Rather, it is taking place as you read this blog. A prophecy that is not only being fulfilled but that you and I get to play a role in fulfilling.
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”
—Revelation 7:9
I think just as quickly as we get excited about being able to partake in such a prophecy, we could equally as quickly become discouraged by the fears of sounding foolish or even the fear of saying the wrong thing when it comes to evangelism.
I mean, why share the gospel in the first place if you think you think you might turn someone further from the truth?
However, the last time I checked, the great commission doesn’t say “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations if you’d like.” If we allow our fears to prevent us from sharing the greatest news of eternal hope known to man, two things will happen.
We will be disobeying God. And…
We will miss out on the joy of being used by God.
In our most recent sermon from Ecclesiastes 7, we unpacked 3 points that correspond to an evangelism tool called “3 Circles”.
Sermon Points
God designed life to be lived a certain way
Sin has distorted God’s design
The gospel restores us back to life by God’s design
With this evangelism tool, all you need is a pen, a napkin, and a willing heart to say yes in uncomfortable moments. But hey, why would you need the Comforter if you were always supposed to be comfortable?
Why is it called 3 Circles? You may be able to guess it… Yes, it involves drawing 3 circles; worlds if you will.
Each step is for each “world”.
1. God’s Design
If you look around there is beauty, purpose and clear evidence for a designer. The Bible makes it clear that God created the world and when He did, He did it perfectly. In the beginning, when God created, He created it all in perfect harmony. Creation has a purpose and so does humanity. That’s how He made it.
“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”
—Genesis 1:31
However, because of sin, doing what is wrong and not doing what is right, we live in a broken world. Sin is not only a world problem, but it is a personal problem. The Bible says…
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
—Ecclesiastes 7:20
This leads us to our second circle:
2. Brokenness
Sin leads to brokenness. We don’t need a scientific explanation for such a claim. It’s clear. Sin leads to brokenness and brokenness leads to the realisation that there is a need for something greater.
The arrows represent us trying to escape brokenness. Many go to netflix, alcohol, pornography, etc… But the reality is that these escape mechanisms are really like bungee cords pulling us right back into the brokenness. There must be a solution.
This is where the gospel comes in:
3. Gospel
By God’s grace, there is the third circle. Because of His love, God did not leave us in our brokenness. Jesus, God in the flesh, came to us instead of us working our way to Him. He lived the righteous life we couldn’t and died the death we deserved. Jesus received the wrath of God on our behalf on that cross to free us from the bondage of sin and eternal death in hell. Jesus came to rescue us not because we were good enough to be saved, but because He is good enough to save. And not only that, but He rose on the third day vindicating Himself and His message.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
—John 3:16
How does one get from circle 2 to circle 3? Repent and believe. Turn to Jesus and trust in Him for salvation. Trust that when He went to that cross, He went there for you. Trust that His sacrifice was enough to save you.
And the good news is that when one does repent and believe, although they still live in the broken world, they are now placed back into God’s design; the first circle. Not only can they live for Him now, but they can live with Him for eternity. That’s the Good News!
